The Greatest Day - Andorra World Cup DH Training - Mountain Biking Pictures

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We're too lazy to do a quick search to see if we said this exact same thing last year or the year before, but today in Andorra was one of the greatest days of downhilling. We're pretty sure we said it, but this day has to be better than before, right? When you get the fastest racers slaying the complete and utter dirt out of an epic DH course without the real pressure of the clock, there's no better spectacle for fans. Sure, race day has the drama, the winner is determined, the speeches are given and the podium champagne is sprayed, but the mystery is over and you move on with your life. Today in Andorra, everyone, literally everyone, was hauling ass during practice. You could see the stoke in their riding as turns were slashed, scrubs were snapped and brakes were dragged down ludicrous-steep pitches. Interviews are fun and peppy and we can still speculate about who looked faster without the stupid clock to tell us we're wrong. Andorra never disappoints and today we came away elated once again. Get fed.

Amaury Pierron with a full set of data acquisition, mapping out the course during timed training. Deja vu for the 50th photo in a row. Perfect form, destroying a turn and having more fun than ever in the audio. -Sven Martin

Proof of the greatest day. Laurie Greenland in audio @maddogboris

Finn does his best impersonation of one of the vultures that have been circling here all week. -Sven Martin

PFFFT. Finn Iles looks freaking fast and we wouldn't be surprised to see him on the podium soon. @maddogboris

While some decided to hold off timed training because of light rain, Danny Hart rode 3 laps and a sighting lap after to boot. #froth -Dan Hearn

Danny Hart with a lift back to the top after a big crash that snapped his bar. He was back out 20 minutes later and all OK as clearly evident in today's Vital RAW. -Sven Martin

Loris Vergier in the bendy woods. Lots of line choice here with three main lines and a few combinations. All with tricky off-camber, roots, rocks, bushes and different exit options. -Sven Martin

Storm clouds gathered but never really broke over the track today. Brook MacDonald coming in hot. -Dan Hearn

Tahnee with the big berm lean. -Sven Martin

Poor Bernard. He went down hard today. Luckily he is okay and we may see him maybe on the bike tomorrow. @maddogboris

Mark Wallace hit a rock with his food and wasn't sure if it was broken or not. He stayed cool, kept riding and all was good at the end of the day. @maddogboris

Some serious corner erosion caused by the wet conditions and grippy tires. Troy Brosnan in the audio. -Dan Hearn

Typical Wyn Masters style through the berms, of which there are plenty. Unfortunately there was no shot of Eddie, so we put his audio here. Brothers probably hate that shit. -Dan Hearn

Not one to sit in the pits, Aaron Gwin's mechanic John Hall was on track gathering useful (and not so useful) information for the team to peruse. Aaron is back at home recovering from a thumb injury. -Dan Hearn

Emilie Siegenthaler crossing one of the big bridges up top of the course. Its a long track ending all the way down in town. -Sven Martin

Sam Dale is back on the DH bike again after a Top 10 at Megavalanche last weekend. Busy season for Sambo. -Sven Martin

Cecile Ravanel wasted no time doing the harder but faster BIG lines, even early in the morning when the rocks and roots were still slippery. -Sven Martin

Rachel sailing and railing to keep the other ladies trailing. @maddogboris

Classic Blenki - off the side, laid back, pedal-hungry style all with a chesire-cat grin. -Sven Martin

Jack Attack, too tough to crack, ready to give this track a big stack of smack to get a lower number back. -Sven Martin

Minnaar causally feeling it out. His elbow isn't ready for racing just yet but he wants the bike time nonetheless. #photoincentives -Sven Martin

Bruce Klein back in action after an injury-induced absence. He's getting stuck right in, tearing into turns and taking a few minor spills in the process. #USDH -Sven Martin

Benoit Coulanges holds 'er wide and lets it slide. -Sven Martin

Benoit x2 - Euro Scrub. Keeping it low on the rhythm section into a Mach 10 berm. -Sven Martin

Ok, not everyone had the greatest day. Mike Jones went down hard and hurt his wrist. @maddogboris

You don't know if you don't try, right? Mike Jones post-crash. Unfortunately he tweaked his wrist which may cause some troubles on the bottom of this track. He chilled for timed training, so we'll see what qualifying day brings. -Sven Martin

Taylor Vernon cuts it just a little too fine. -Sven Martin

Joe Smith on the flats as always but keeping the feet up on the off-camber. -Sven Martin

Kade Edwards looking for mushrooms on the high line. -Sven Martin

Specialized Gravity had the timing out to test line options accurately in two or three sections. They aren't the only ones though. -Sven Martin

Rachel dropping in as the sun rises for her first run this morning. -Sven Martin

Big walls in a bigger landscape. Rachel charges towards the jumps. -Sven Martin

After his 5th Place in Val di Sole, Thomas Estaque knows that he can be up there! @maddogboris

Kye A'Hern was pushing hard in training. He will be on it to get his leader's Jersey back! @maddogboris

Luca Shaw had some special support today from TLD's Stikman! Early Eurobike gave a couple industry nerds the chance to come to Andorra to watch the race after talking about e-bikes all week! @maddogboris

A beer in the hand is better than two in your beard. Did Mayhem drop the precious piece of hydration only to have it quickly scooped up by the ferocious and strategic silverback?

Amaury Pierron is the perfect example of balance fun and focus. Focus when riding and cheering for his buddies while checking out lines! @maddogboris

Brendog got some modifications on his Prototype and is feeling good. @maddogboris

After the heavy rain before training, it wasn't easy to get in the right mood to send it. A couple minutes later the sun came out and all was good again! @maddogboris

Canadian Angel, Miranda Miller! @maddogboris

The last signs from the rain. Again the forecast was nearly wrong and except for couple drops, it was pretty sunny today! @maddogboris

This isn't even a Mountain Bike Action or MBUK cover. This smile is real. That's what fun and excitement looks like! Vali Höll ear-to-ear. @maddogboris

Sun, dirt, views and whips. What else is there? @maddogboris

Morning views in Andorra. @maddogboris

#panshotfriday BABY! @maddogboris

Canyon young gun, Simon Maurer ready to send it. @maddogboris

A few slippery roots caught out unsuspecting early risers despite the fluoro paint. -Dan Hearn

Emyr Davies getting his tweak on. -Dan Hearn

The pine forest covering most of the track gives some welcome cover from sun and rain. Both of which were experienced today. -Dan Hearn

Despite all the rain each evening, the berms are holding up well and are still running fast. -Dan Hearn

Atherton Academy junior, Mille Johnset, isn't afraid to go big on the jumps. -Dan Hearn

The most shot corner on the circuit? Adam Brayton slaying for the paparazzi lying just out of shot. -Dan Hearn

Great to see Gee riding loose and having fun on track. Foot out, flat out and 3rd in timed training. -Dan Hearn

Alex Marin, fully tapped and up to speed quickly in training. -Dan Hearn

High speed, low angle, roost, pedalling out of the turn. Textbook Bruni aggression and 2nd in timed training. -Dan Hearn

Officer John Hall reporting for duty. -Dan Hearn

Luca Shaw not setting the world alight in training but always with speed hidden by his smoothness. -Dan Hearn

Head gardener Nathan Hughes decorating berms for some flagrant foreground flora forgery. -Dan Hearn

Intense train rolling on down with all three members once again. -Dan Hearn

Early bird catches the worm or X marks the panshot. -Dan Hearn

With a few bridges to note on the track, course maintenance were busy after training to make sure they weren't too slippery for tomorrow. -Dan Hearn

This rut used to be dirt the whole way through but now we are left with bedrock and hard ground. The rain could cause some carnage here when it hits. -Dan Hearn

This is a scratch and sniff photo. Scratch your screen and you'll get a whiff of these feet. True fans will know who these sliders belong to with or without the stench. (psst, check the scar). -Dan Hearn

Danny Hart's data acquisition has been running for a few races now and Dave Garland was getting busy with the interpretation side of things too. -Dan Hearn

Thanks for holding off the worst of the rain Andorra! On to auali's! -Dan Hearn